How many times have you followed someone somewhere? The reasons you followed may vary: some follow others because they don't know the way, some follow because they don't want to lead, some follow because the leader insists, some follow just for the adventure. There are many reasons we follow. Some good and some not so good. During my reading this week and during my life this week, I keep hearing these words, "Follow me". Sometimes I was saying them and sometimes I was hearing them. It made me reflect on their meaning and it made me ask a few questions. I want to share that with you and see if you may feel the same way.
First of all, many times this week, I heard myself saying, "just follow me" or "I'll drive" or "I know how to get there". Those are really powerful words that we sometimes take for granted the implication. To ask someone or a group of people to follow you is a power that not everyone is comfortable with or quite frankly that everyone should have. As I reflected on these phrases I began to realize that I was asking people to trust my leadership ability. I was asking them to have confidence in me. Trust me. When we look at that in its full context we begin to realize that we are asking people to surrender their will to ours, their way to ours and their desires to ours. It could be as simple as they would have taken a different route to the destination had they been driving or it could be as life altering as them trusting our interpretation of scripture for their future and destiny (eternity).
I believe in asking myself tough questions. I believe that it is only by facing the inward motives of my heart that I can truly walk the life I was designed to live. So, I want to ask you to consider these questions. I want you to consider who you are asking to follow you, why you are asking them to follow you, how you are asking them to follow you, where you are asking them to follow you.
Where we want people to follow us and how we want them follow us and most importantly WHY do we want them to follow us are questions that we must ask ourselves daily. Am I giving people a good reason to follow? Where am I going that others need to come to? Is there a reason I want them to follow a certain way? Why - what makes the place I am going so much better than where they are now? Am I asking them to follow me for wrong motives? Am I asking them to follow me because I think it would be good for them? Too many times, we ask people to follow us - but we don't know why. We ask them to trust us - but we don't know why.
Very specifically, Jesus told his first disciples, "Come, follow me". He knew why. He knew where. He knew when. He knew how. The first thing Jesus told them was the why - "I will make you fishers of men." He wanted them to use their gifts and talents and abilities to build the Kingdom of God. He related to them where they were. He told them their purpose. He didn't tell them the how and the where but He did tell them the why and the when - "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Come - now, leave your familiar setting, follow me - what they would be doing, make you fishers of men - why they needed to leave and follow.
Today, ask yourself this question - who is following me? Where am I leading them? What example am I setting? Do I know where I'm going? Can I help them reach their destination?
These questions are applicable to every area of life. If you are a mom, you are leading your children. If you are a dad, you are leading your family. If you have breath in your body - someone is following you. Where are you leading them? Realize it is a privilege and an honor to have people follow you. They are placing their trust and confidence in you. You were called to have others follow. Enjoy the trip!
2 comments:
I believe the question that strikes me would be.
I am just one with no one close following me but if there were am I leading them as Christ would have me to.
My family lives in Colorado and when you only see them a few times a year I try with all my heart to be the example that Christ would have me to be
but how do you know if they are really seeing Him.
I believe that our words, our actions - everything we do either points people to Christ or away from Him. Your children and grandchildren hear Christ in your voice. They see Him in your actions. They hear Him in your laugh. The Holy Spirit is at work in your family. He's also at work in our everyday life. Everyday, He is working and fulfilling His plan. You just keep following Him and they will follow you.
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